General Info / Tutorials

Collision avoidance at sea has to be the number one, top priority for any mariner. And while radar is still the best known and most comprehensive aid to visibility and collision avoidance on the water, AIS comes in a strong second and in some cases, might even be considered more useful than radar. What is AIS? AIS stands for “Automatic Identification System,” which is global tracking system for vessels which actively transmit a signal from AIS  transponder. This signal not on

Trolling is one of the easiest and most effective methods to catch all species of Pacific Salmon. This article is an A-Z list of all the equipment and gear needed to get you started on this adventure, along with explanations, photos, video, and equipment reviews. It is a basic, but comprehensive look at everything you will need to outfit your boat and start catching salmon! Different terminal tackle set-ups and fishing tips and strategies will be covered in other posts, so be

Tides may be the single most powerful and influential phenomena affecting coastal waterways. So a basic understanding of how they work and more importantly, developing a habit of paying attention to the intersection between tidal movements and weather and how they affect the ocean environment is an essential part of living, working and playing on or in the water. Whether you are boating, swimming, surfing or fishing, tides play a big part in your ocean activities. What are T

While there are hundreds of fishing knots for various uses, if you learn to tie just these three, you will probably be set for over 90% of all your fishing needs. They are strong, easy and fast to tie, and can be used with monofilament, fluorocarbon, and braided line. There are countless other fishing knots you can learn for specialized purposes, or sometimes just personal preference. And, while there always seems to be plenty of debate around the “best and strongest” knots f

The importance of “knowing the ropes” and a few associated knots in boating cannot be overstated. They are essential to so many aspects of boating, learning just a few will go a long way to making your time on the water more enjoyable, safer and more secure. And while there are scores of knots for various maritime purposes, the three listed here are a basic starting point. These are essential, “must know” knots. They are easy to tie, and will get you by for most of your on th